Evolution - Dirty Puppet

This poignent narravtive detailing the history of the Arts Centre Melbourne was created by Australian animation studio Dirty Puppet and designed to originally run on a set of 6 x 1 meter LED screens (hence the odd dimensions—watch it in full screen). [Cartoon Brew]

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Jimi Hendrix - Rainbow Bridge Concert, Maui 1970

Rather than wring our hands about Hendrix dying this date in 1970, let's watch him shred through 90 minutes of hits.

Were Cave Paintings Animated?

It may be that Paleolithic humans may have been far more advanced, at least artistically, than we've ever imagined. According to Archaeologist Marc Azéma, stone age craftsmen may have designed their cave paintings so as to feign movement when viewed under the flickering light of torches and may have invented the thaumatrope a few millennia before its official birth in the Victorian era. Check out the full story at Kottke.

Researchers: Compound in Cannabis May Help Treat Epilepsy

A little-known compound known as cannabidivarin (CBDV), which is naturally produced in cannabis, may prove to be a potent anti-epileptic. A British team recently published findings that the compound, when applied to rats and mice suffering from a half dozen forms of epilepsy, effectively suppressed the onset of seizures without the common side effects of uncontrolled twitching exhibited with current medications. Obviously, we've got a ways to go between rodent trials and marketable drug but these results are exciting nonetheless. [LA Times via WPD - Image: AP Photo/Ted S. Warren]

This Is Certainly One Way to Beat a Grow Rap

Jury Nullification isn't normally one of the options that the judge gives as part of his jury instructions but it certainly worked out for one New Hampshire Rastafarian.

Jury Nullification is, essentially, the decision to acquit a suspect of a charge—even though the prosecution proved that the suspect did commit it beyond a reasonable doubt—simply because the jury disagrees with the law under which he is charged or feels the punishment would be unfair. Doug Darrell, for example, was arrested in 2009 when a National Guard chopper noticed a grow op in his backyard. It should have been an open and shut case for the prosecution—he was, after all, growing weed in his backyard. However, the jury unanimously decided to throw out the charges based on the fact that he only grew for personal and religious purposes. As one jury member noted, "Mr. Darrell is a peaceful man. He grows for his own personal religious and medicinal use. I knew that my community would be poorer rather than better off had he been convicted." [HuffPo via 420 Times]